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Early Childhood Education Degrees in Mississippi

As a state, Mississippi has many goals that legislators have established in recent years. However, many of these goals can be achieved through the improvement of one field: early education.

Early education can improve the quality of life of Mississippi residents in many ways. Children that attend preschool and pre-K statistically have lower imprisonment rates, higher salaries, improved health, and better career prospects.

Early childhood teachers have a positive impact on their classrooms, their school districts, and their community as a whole.

Becoming an Early Childhood Teacher in Mississippi

If you have a knack for working with young children and you’re driven to improve the future of Mississippi, this is the field for you.

Get in touch with Mississippi early childhood education schools to check out your options.

This is such an important part of Mississippi education that you may have a major advantage when you start your training. As more and more research has been done on early education, teaching professionals have tweaked their techniques and deepened their knowledge of childhood development.

As a student, you may join the Mississippi Early Childhood Association and attend training events, network with teachers and administrators, and learn about teaching jobs.

Are you ready to become an early childhood teacher and become part of a growing teaching community in Mississippi? Get your start at a Mississippi teaching college or university.

With the list of schools below, it’s easy to contact programs that interest you.

Getting Your Early Childhood Education Degree in Mississippi

In many fields, you can simply declare your major and start working toward your chosen career. However, you need a bit more preparation to become a teacher.

You can choose an undergraduate college or university and begin taking general education courses in subjects like math, social studies, biology, and history. Once you have about one year’s worth of credits, you can apply to take the Praxis exam and apply to your school’s teaching program.

With a high enough GPA and Praxis score, you may be accepted to your early education program. From there, you start getting some classroom experience and learning about teaching theories.

Early Childhood Education Courses

  • Childhood Development
  • Prenatal and Infant Development
  • Creativity and Play in Early Childhood
  • Working with Parents in Early Childhood
  • Early Literacy
  • Individualizing Education for Exceptional Children
  • Managing Early Childhood Classrooms

At middle and secondary teaching levels, you spend most of your time in courses relating to your area of specialized study.

In early education, most of your credits come from courses on child development, teaching theory, learning styles, and educational psychology. This training helps you tailor your teaching techniques to fit the needs of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and young elementary school students.

Upon selecting an early education program, you may apply for scholarships and grants. Federal financial aid is usually determined by financial need, but other scholarships may be determined by your academic performance.

Your Bachelor’s degree prepares you for the licensing process. The Mississippi Department of Education requires that you pass the Praxis exam in early education. They also double-check your teaching coursework and run a background check to ensure that you are safe around children.

You could be on your way to an early childhood education degree by next semester.

Discover which program fits your learning style by reaching out to local schools.

Working as an Early Childhood Educator in Mississippi

While you may begin your career as a classroom teacher, your background in early education may pave the way for many other career opportunities.

After gaining seniority and experience, you may choose to return to school to become an administrator, a teacher educator, or a technology specialist. You may also specialize in a field like special education or English as a learned language.

Your role in the community is essential. By communicating with parents and being partners in their children’s education, you can inspire them to support their children throughout their 14 or more years of education. Consider becoming an advocate for education by becoming active in a group like Mississippi Building Blocks.

Job growth is expected to increase at a consistent rate for several years. By the year 2024, O*Net anticipates an 18% increase in job openings for preschool teachers and a 10% boost in job openings for elementary school teachers (2016).

The average salary for a Mississippi preschool teacher is $28,100 per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016). Elementary school teachers in MS bring in an average of $41,760 annually (BLS, 2016).

Education gives you the chance to build a fulfilling career while helping young minds grow.

Reach out to Mississippi schools below to get more information on degree programs.